Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has named George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli as the team's priority for the 2026 Formula One season. The revelation comes after Max Verstappen was strongly linked to Mercedes.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has revealed that his F1 career will end when his “hunger to win” fades, admitting he already misses simple family moments amid the demands of racing.

With a move to Mercedes now seemingly on the back burner, Verstappen spoke about when he plans to retire. The Dutchman admitted last year to SPORTbible that he had achieved everything he wanted to in F1 and stated his intentions to try other forms of racing.

With a move to Mercedes seemingly off the cards, Verstappen is now well-placed to remain at Red Bull until the end of his contract in 2028. It has been speculated that the four-time world champion could then retire, provided he is content with his achievements in F1, instead pursuing a new career in endurance racing.

Mercedes is yet to name its 2026 F1 drivers. With interest from Red Bull's Max Verstappen, Luke Smith argues he should join George Russell

Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda have spoken up about the upcoming race at Spa Francorchamps with new Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies.

F ormula 1 champion Max Verstappen has offered an update on his early retirement plans, suggesting he could well stick around in the sport for longer than he has previously suggested.

In the short term, Verstappen must focus his attention on the World Championship fight with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The 27-year-old is 69 points behind the series leader and may be forced to kiss his title defence hopes goodbye at the summer break if Red Bull can’t take an immediate step forward under new boss Laurent Mekies.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has played down rumours that he recently met Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in Sardinia to seal a deal for the F1 2026 season. Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move to Mercedes for next season over recent weeks despite being officially under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028.